Turtle Island
by DaughterofWinter
Summary: Percy if fed up being the gods' pawn and ready to give up the hero life. What does his dad have to say about it? Family!
1. Giving Up

Hello there! So the other day I was lamenting the lack of Percy + Poseidon stories out there, but then I realized instead of whining to myself and anyone who had the misfortune of running into me, I should actually sit down and write something. Without further ado….

Percy ran, not caring as his thinly covered feet slapped against harsh and jagged rocks. The sky above was ridiculously blue and cheerful.

_Are you happy Zeus? Are you freaking happy? _For the first time in years, Percy wished he could escape his family. All of them. Sure, sometimes it was nice to see a familiar face (read: poorly-disguised- clearly-divine- face) at the post office, the mall, or riding past him on a Harley, but on the other hand he was a little sick of running into creepy cameras with Hephaestus tv logos on them, and the regular death threats and the monster half of the family got old real fast.

The monsters he probably could have gotten over. See a monster, kill it, don't have to see it again. Easy. The gods… not so much. If they had anything uncomfortable, dangerous, or downright embarrassing to do, you know who they'd call. They never left him alone, darned ungrateful beings! Half of them would be happy enough if he were dead, it didn't matter how many times he proved himself. More than anything, Percy was sick of proving himself. So he went where most of them wouldn't dare step foot.

The jump off of such a high coastal cliff might have injured a normal mortal, but the ocean always protected Percy. The boy allowed himself to sink deeper, until Zeus' still blue sky was replaced with Poseidon's green and dark gray waters swirling, colliding and always shifting.

Percy felt some of the tension leave his back as his fingers reached out to touch the salty liquid and his hair floated off his forehead.

_I don't want to do this anymore. No more quests. Or prophecies._ _I just can't._

Poseidon didn't want to reply to the message. He considered sending a starfish, or perhaps a few more sand dollars as a signal to Percy that he had heard, but didn't agree. No human money though, no need for Sally to know he was resorting to bribes….

_I can't. I'm __**done**__. _

The last word was said with such finality that Poseidon sat up in shock. The boy was serious.

_You can't be done, Percy. That's not how this works. _Poseidon winced. So much for subtlety. If Zeus discovered how directly Poseidon was communicating with the boy right now, there would be consequences in the form of lightning, juries, and overly dramatic entrances.

_I don't care how this works.__** "This**__" is driving me crazy! I don't want to do this anymore._

_Percy, you can't stop being a demigod. You were born a hero. _

_I don't want any more quests, quests suck! Has anyone ever told you that? The food's gross, there's never any bathrooms, my friends are falling down left and right-_

Percy broke off his prayer as he held back a sob, hoping his father couldn't actually hear him, or worse, see him.

_Just… no more. I'm done._

Poseidon gripped his trident and remembered what he had told Percy the first time they met. A hero's fate was an unhappy one, and Percy in his childish innocence thought that he could leave the world of quests and sacrifice, or ( what was so much worse for Percy)accepting others' sacrifice, behind. But what Poseidon had told his son was very true; a demigod could not escape the world he was born into. The god's face twisted in regret and a sort of grief for the burden he had placed on his son.

_I…. can't do that for you Percy_. Poseidon swallowed thickly. _But, I can give you a little break. This is just between us, you understand? You can't tell anyone. _

_Can't tell anyone- Wha! _Percy gasped as he was tugged forward with all the power of a currant and he was so amazed by the strength and power of the water that for several minutes he didn't realize he was sitting on a giant turtle.

He dragged his fingers along the turtle's rough shell, admiring the geometric beauty in it. If he didn't know any better, he would say that the turtle puffed his chest out and raised his head higher as if to bring attention to his magnificent features.

Percy chuckled. "You're a strange turtle." He leaned a little closer, "did my dad send you?" Percy wondered why his dad thought a turtle would be a good bribe, and why Poseidon hadn't started bribing him a long time ago. The turtle's head bobbed charismatically and Percy placed his hands on the ridge of the turtle's shell.

"Do you know where we're going?" Percy asked, although the turtle seemed happy and confident enough in his watery habitat. Instead of answering, the turtle sped up.

"I'll take that as a yes."

There you have it, the first chapter! I hope you liked it, I won't pretend it was perfect by any means but I will admit there a few lines I'm fond of.

In case you were wondering, I was purposely vague about then this takes place, logically its somewhere between The Lightning Thief and the HoO series, but other than that Percy is however old you want him to be. I was thinking maybe 1 or 2 more chapters would be good… oh! I don't own anything ^_^


	2. The Island

_Hey! If you followed this story, welcome back! If you're new thanks for reading this far :D_

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It brightens my day!_

_I don't own anything except the island (I like the sound of that!) _

Percy's head broke through the water and he realized for the first time just how fast they had been going. The sun was setting and the pair passed purple, orange, and pink clouds with water jet speed. It seemed symbolic somehow, that in this new place the sky wasn't blue. For the first time in a long time Percy felt like his uncle wasn't watching him, waiting for Percy to mess up and give him an excuse to throw his lightning bolt.

The turtle was slowing down. He swam in large figure eights and swirls, clearly enjoying the warmth in the shallower water. Percy dragged his fingers in the water. It felt as if he was reaching into Alice's looking glass, and in many ways the ocean could be seen as another, more magical world.

'_I wish that I could stay there.' _Percy thought. Maybe that's what he would do; runaway from camp and set up a little underwater cave near the Bahamas with something comfortable to sleep on and just live out his days as a mer-hermit.

On second thought, he might not actually have to do any planning, he realized as a small island came into view. 'What's this?" He asked the turtle. "Is this where all the cool turtles hang out?"

The turtle gave no answer but made a very slow beeline for the white sand of the beach. The island wasn't very large, possibly a little smaller than a football field, but it was hard to tell because the center of the island had so many trees. The strange pair passed a tiny teardrop island the size of a boat, only a two minute swim from the larger land mass.

As soon as Percy's toes brushed against the rough sand of the ocean's floor he slipped off the turtle and tilted his head back. The feeling of cool water against his scalp and the pulse of small waves moving his hair sent tingles down his neck and spine. It was the best feeling in the world.

Percy opened his eyes- although he didn't remember closing them in the first place- and saw that the turtle was already on the edge of the beach. Percy joined him and took a closer look at the island.

A small cabin that looked like it was originally meant to house a boat was only a few feet from the narrow beach and although any paint that had ever graced it had long since been stripped off by storms and the salt air, it seemed sturdy enough. A barbeque pit, clearly used, sat next to the shack and Percy hoped that meant there was lots of food nearby.

Percy started to take a step towards the cabin but hesitated. "There isn't anyone else here is there? Humans, I mean."

The turtle's eyes seemed to crinkle at edges, as if he found something amusing, but he bobbed his head loosely left to right.

"Good," Percy didn't feel like battling some homeless immortal that the gods sentenced to a lifetime of loneliness and bad hygiene on this little island. As he wandered closer to the shack he saw a contraption with a bucket and some string in the back and one or two vintage life vests, but no sign of the gods or any other immortals.

The realization crashed into Percy like a typhoon, and he feel to his knees in shock. There were no punished titans or criminal here because this was _his_ island. The gods found out what he said and in retribution they sent him here, like Calypso he would live out his days lonely and waiting for whatever fate the gods created for him.

"No," he whispered. He hadn't wanted to completely leave the human world behind! Just the divine one! He would never hear another voice, or touch another hand-

Percy felt something heavy on his knee and looked down to see that the turtle was resting his head there. Percy felt his heart rate slow as he rested his hand on the turtle's shell.

"Did my dad send you to keep me company?" The turtle edged closer.

"Is he gonna leave me here?" If turtles could jump in surprise this turtle would have done it and Percy grinned sheepishly at the animated reptile.

"I'll take that as a no."

Percy slowly rose to his feet and moved toward the entrance of the cabin. After making sure the turtle was following him, Percy stepped through the door and began taking inventory. One hammock hung in the far left corner, the right corner was home to a pile of buckets and old nails, and close to the entrance there was a box filled with canned goods, and a knife on top. The turtle wandered ahead of Percy, bringing his attention to a large clear container filled with water near the back of the shack. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was surprisingly clean.

Percy sat down on the hammock and searched for the turtle in the darkness. Now that the sun had set there was no light source in the cabin but the turtle was moving closer to Percy and almost bumped into Percy's leg.

"I don't think I can lift you up here. Are you going to stay for a while?"

The turtle settled down on the floor next to Percy's hammock, so the boy laid back and tried to relax. This was exactly the sort of place he didn't want to have a demigod dream in.

_Well, thank you for reading! I hope this chapter met your expectations._

_If anyone plays Sims3, in my head I'm picturing the barbecue pit from the game as the barbeque pit here…:D_

_Just so you know, I have school/homework coming up this week so although I plan on updating soon, it may take a few extra days. Have a great day guys and I know this sounds weird and random, but in case one has told you this today, you are both loved and valuable. _


	3. Dreams and Scars

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry for the wait, I had some papers to write and basically I've been banging my head against my desk- turns out that isn't conducive to writing fanfics.**

**But I guess maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder? ….no? oh, ok. I guess I better let you get started on the story then, enjoy!**

_The waves were raging recklessly, but Percy descended without fear into the depths of the ocean. The water turned cold, but it was the sudden silence that made Percy shiver. The ocean was meant to be lively and bursting with activity, but the creatures were too frightened to swim freely. _

_A structure of marble and coral came into view. Simple, unpretentious majesty, it could only be the palace of Poseidon. The gentle curves of the palace gave it a more natural and homey feel than Olympus, but the utter lack of animal life made it colder and less welcoming. Percy touched the outer wall and wondered if he should wait for permission, but as he looked around, it became clear that no one was going to come._

_He swam slowly into the Grand Hall. He avoided the deserted corridors, hoping to stumble upon someone in one of the more frequently used Halls, or the kitchens. Finding the Kitchens would be good._

_He heard a sound. It was distant, but it had been silent for so long… Percy swam deeper into the maze of the Palace. _

_Murmurs, voices. Angry voices._

"_...keep your distance. If you don't, it will only hurt him."_

"_You mean you'll hurt him." The ocean floor beneath Percy shook slightly and he gripped a coral column that stretched up to touch the ceiling two stories away. Maybe he didn't want to find the source of the noise as much as he thought he did._

"_Don't accuse me, Brother! You forget yourself."_

"_You forget that you are in __**my**__ domain. As for what's mine, perhaps I should keep it closer to home. It might prove useful."_

_Silence. Percy wondered if something was happening that he couldn't hear._

"_I've spent enough time here. Remember what I said."_

"_Don't assume what I haven't."_

_Percy backed away from the column, nervous that now the cryptic meeting was ending that he would be discovered._

_He turned to leave, hoping he would remember the way out. He passed through corridors, he was close to the first Great Hall-_

_The turtle blocked his path._

"_Where did you come from?" Percy clapped his hand over his mouth, not realizing how loud he would sound in this deserted place._

_The turtle didn't make it any easier. He stared at Percy as if trying to make a decision. Finally he turned; waiting it seemed for Percy to follow. Percy gripped the turtle's shell in one hand so that they wouldn't get separated and followed him home. _

Percy cracked one eye open lazily. Every part of him ached, from his neck and back down to the toes on his left foot. He licked his lips and tasted salt.

Something hit his left shoulder. Percy rolled over. The turtle was bumping into him, presumably to wake him up.

"No."

Bump.

"No."

Big turtle eyes latched onto Percy's, silently coercing him into getting up. "You're worse than a puppy."

Percy groaned, but slowly leaned forward and sat up in the hammock. He dragged his fingers through his hair. "I'm up. Who knew turtles cared if people were early risers?"

The turtle didn't answer, he just meandered to the other side of the cabin were a can of steaming food sat on an upside down bucket. Percy's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.

He stood up cautiously, aware of his creaking joints and the hammock's lack of stability. Percy brought the can to his lips and tipped it back. It was filled with cinnamon bun cream of wheat. Delicious.

"Too bad it's not blue." Percy could have sworn that the turtle smiled a little, but he was already turning to leave the little shack. Percy scarfed down the rest of his breakfast and made to follow.

The turtle was standing behind the shelter with a piece of rope in his mouth. As he observed the rope, Percy realized it was attached to the bucket he had seen earlier…

"It's a shower!" the turtle, however, was not so enthusiastic. He dropped the rope into Percy's hand and then left the boy behind in favor of the ocean's waves.

Thought he lacked soap and shampoo, Percy scrubbed himself as best he could and to his relief the hot sun eased his sore muscles. Sighing from comfort, he tugged his shorts back on but left his shirt off-he only had one and there was no need to get it dirtier than necessary.

Percy jumped into the clear water, searching for his reptile friend. _Oomph!_ The turtle was on Percy's back, pushing him down playfully.

"You goof! How are you doing that anyway?" Percy escaped the turtle's clutches and immediately went on the attack, wrapping his legs around the turtle to impede his swimming and taunting the turtle the whole time.

They played like that as the sun continued to stretch his rays across the sky. It was a moment of perfect summer that lasted for hours until Percy felt a sharp nudge on his back. At first he thought it was a new game, so he grinned and tried to tickle the turtle back (he hadn't been able to figure out if turtles were ticklish or not yet) but the turtle continued prodding him with urgency.

"What's wrong?" Percy reached to touch his own back. "Oh. That. Those are just training scars, it happens."

The turtle looked intently into Percy's eyes, again looking like he was trying to make a difficult decision. Percy had no clue as to what was weighing on the turtle's mind, but soon enough the turtle swam around Percy and nudged his back again, gently this time.

The two went back to their mischief for a while after that, but eventually they tired and returned to shore. Percy went into the forest to take care of a little business, but when he returned the turtle already had a warm meal laid out.

"How do you keep doing this without thumbs?" Percy accepted the can of piping hot southwestern soup and- to his delight- a can of blueberry custard. The two enjoyed a quiet meal together, although the turtle wouldn't eat more than the drips of custard he licked off Percy's fingers. The two nestled in the sand and softly fell asleep.

When Percy woke, the sky was about to turn a dark, royal blue. His friend was clearly asleep, so Percy adjusted his position to sit a little closer to the turtle. The boy reached to rub off the sand stuck to his back and legs, but as his fingers brushed his shoulder blades he realized something.

His scars were gone.

**Yea! All done with the 3****rd**** chapter, hope you liked it. There is just one more! I'm not certain when ill be able to update because again, I have some stuff I need to do… o_0**

**I tried to avoid tie-ins to the other books so that you can imagine this story happening whenever you want it to! I also want to note that I have never tried cream of wheat, but I really want to! :D oh, I don't own Percy. Or anyone else who may or may not have appeared in this chapter ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Dang guys, it's been a while! I really am sorry. I've had a bit of a rough time with, well, life. I never planned to abandon this story though, I just needed the time to upload it! I hope its a satisfying end to the story : )**

Percy's conscious drifted somewhere at the edge of Morpheus' realm, so that the colors of sunrise entered his dreams in a soft wash of color. The sun warmed him as it rose, and by instinct he lazily reached for his reptile friend-

He was gone.

Percy sat up in shock. Just a few minutes ago, it seemed, the turtle was right next to him. Percy squinted in the sunlight, looking about as he rolled to his feet. There!

"Hey, come back!" Percy called to the small round shape getting closer and closer to the northern shore.

The turtle paused, but didn't indicate any intention to return to Percy's little campsite. The boy ran –badly, no one would mistake him for Hermes' child, but quickly enough to meet the turtle before the creature made to return to the ocean. "Why are you leaving?"

The turtle's eyes turned sad, Percy would also say there was longing mixed in with the melancholy.

"Can't you stay?"

The turtle's gaze left Percy for the vast ocean, and Percy's heart clenched when he understood. "There're people out there who need you, don't they?"

No response, but Percy almost thought the turtle's shoulders had slumped.

"Can they wait? Just a little bit- an hour!- please-" an affectionate nudge quieted Percy, but did nothing to convince him that this was goodbye. It hurt, to be abandoned this way.

"Please," he whispered again, "I don't want to be left behind. At least let me come part of the way with you."

The turtle lifted his head, the sorrow gone from his face, and for a moment Percy worried that his friend would indicate that no, Percy could not come. Percy followed him slowly into the water.

With a twinkle in his eye, the turtle swam in a large circle around Percy and then dove beneath the surface of the waves. Percy followed happily and without a care in the world, although he had no idea where they were heading.

They swam deep and toward the south. Percy dragged his fingers on the ocean floor and spotted a small school of fish up above. "Much better!" he exclaimed, delighted to see the oceanic world alive and happy again. The fish had no idea what they had done to please the sea prince, but they joyfully called out, "Our Great royalty! We are not worthy! We are not worthy!"

Percy chuckled at their antics and gave them a little wave before he went back to following the turtle. He was winding around a coral reef ablaze with color and activity. His jaw dropped as he saw the variety of marine life living in this little paradise. Every jewel colored plant reached toward his own outstretched hand, and Percy almost laughed when he realized he was more or less shaking hands with them. The fish jabbered and giggled, speaking over one and other and calling out to each other for no real reason at all. Percy grinned at everything he saw and settled down next to a seat shaped coral formation.

It was only after he sat down that he remembered that he was supposed to be following the turtle. _Shoot_. Percy turned from left to right and tried to guess where his friend had gone, but he was surrounded by coral and activity and saw no trace of the reptile.

*_Bonk_*

Percy raised his hand in protest and tilted his head back to he could glare at the friend that had bumped him from behind. "Ow," Percy rubbed his head in an exaggerated fashion as a few passing fish tittered and chuckled. "That's not nice. My dad is king of the ocean, you know." The turtle swam away in elegant loops, showing off with flourishes.

Percy laughed heartily but refused to return the challenge, preferring instead to lie on the ocean floor gazing up at the waves above.

After some time, the turtle rejoined Percy and rested next to him with his head on Percy's shoulder. Percy closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of being underwater and the joy of being close to a friend.

Percy's shoulder felt cold when the turtle's head left it. He opened his eyes reluctantly, knowing that his friend was leaving for certain this time. The turtle was edging away with a slightly guilty look in his eye. He gazed back at the boy, begging him to understand…

"It's ok," Percy told him softly, "I get it. You have people you need to protect, and so do I."

The turtle lowered his head.

"And I know you'll keep protecting me, as much as you can. You always have."

The turtle prodded Percy's back as best he could as Percy was still lying down, but Percy got the message anyway. "And I'll try to avoid anymore training injuries. Promise."

Satisfied, the turtle let the side of his face touch Percy's face for a moment, and then began to swim away.

Percy closed his eyes again, content (for now at least) to feel and hear the life of the sea around him.

Percy breathed in deeply, taking in the familiar smell of his bedroom. Against his will his heart sank; he was home. Surely, there was some way to see the turtle again. Percy opened his eyes and was disappointed to see that his room was unchanged from the day he left it. A mess, but, as he insisted to his mother, an organized mess.

Speaking of his mother…. He could smell Sally's baking from the other side of the apartment. Percy swung his feet out of bed- and almost stepped on a small rock.

No, not a rock, he realized as he picked it up. Coral. Tied on to a thin rawhide string was a little piece of rough coral, in the shape of a turtle carrying a trident.

.

.

**And that ladies and gentlemen, is the end!**

**And this here:**

ǀ

ǀ

**is my very pathetic attempt at making a trident. If anyone can figure out how to make a better one, feel free to share! : D thank you guys for sticking with me! Hope you liked it!**

**I'm going to answer a few questions I'm guessing someone will ask- Yes, Poseidon is the turtle and yes, Percy figured it out in the past 24 hours of this story (although he was kind of catching on a little earlier). Also, that first scene when Percy asked the turtle not to leave? That is meant to be reminiscent of when Poseidon left Percy as a baby**.


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